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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — army training
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com